In the middle of the 20th century, the United States became a leading global supplier of rare earth elements (REEs). These valuable materials were used extensively in the manufacture of innovative technologies like color televisions and other high-tech devices of the time. However, U.S. dominance in the rare earth market began to slip near the turn of the 21st century, and now China exports almost all the world’s rare earth elements.

A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy (FE) leadership team headed by Assistant Secretary for FE Steve E. Winberg visited NETL’s Albany, Ore., site Wednesday, Aug. 29, for detailed tours of the Laboratory’s technical facilities, briefings by NETL experts, and a site-wide employee town hall meeting.

Two NETL Research Associates recently earned their Ph.Ds. as part of the Lab’s Science Education Research Programs, which are offered through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Jarret Riley and William “Trey” Benincosa successfully defended doctoral theses that consisted of research performed entirely during their time at NETL, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Combustion Program.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has selected two projects to receive approximately $7 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development. These projects will address technical research needs and key challenges in advancing associated geologic storage in support of DOE’s Carbon Storage Program.

A CO2 Injection WellNETL has developed a tool to better predict carbon dioxide (CO2) storage potential in geologic formations.

Seismic activity occurs regularly, primarily due to Earth’s natural movement but sometimes due to the deep injection of wastewater for disposal or other valuable purposes. Far from the catastrophic images of devastating earthquakes that may come to mind, the most frequent seismic activity is imperceptible and even beneficial to the average American. When it comes to hydraulic fracturing operations to recover deep shale gas, seismic activity provides vital information to scientists about the subsurface stresses and permeable fractures.

Without ever leaving the Lab, NETL researchers are exploring the microscopic spaces in rocks, called pores, to take measurements as they seek a better understanding of how liquids and gases interact. These measurements are expanding scientific knowledge of the subsurface environment to ensure safe and effective carbon storage, enhanced resource recovery, and basic scientific understanding of subsurface phenomena.

Employment in energy fields, including oil and natural gas sectors, continued to increase in 2017, but employers are facing challenges when seeking qualified workers to fill open positions, according to data presented during the Future Energy and Manufacturing Jobs webinar sponsored by the NETL Regional Workforce Initiative (RWFI). 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has selected three additional projects to receive approximately $3.3 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development. These projects are supported through the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001728, Advanced Combustion Systems: Existing Plant Improvements and Transformational Technologies.